Bio

Olga Chernisheva
Described by critics as possessing &ldquoa pure, strong soprano with phrasing of sumptuous elegance” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “a voice focused and alluring... subtly expressive” (Opera News), "flawless in her singing" (Cultural World Bilingual ), "sympathetic...utterly lovable, coy, and fierce, depending on the situation......dark, tawny sound also is distinct and her dazzling high notes are piercing without being ugly" (San Francisco Classical Voice), "beauty of her voice is outstanding...it has power to set the theater ringing, but it also has a wealth of color not only on the high C, but also in her lower range which oozes a sultry passion. Her stage presence...is magnetic" (Peninsula Reviews), "Chernisheva's mezzo tones...evoked memories of Maria Callas' spell-binding rendition" (San Jose Mercury News), "natural singer with beautiful colors...sings wonderfully, communicating the excesses of passion and emotion, the quick contrasts of mood , with grace and conviction" (San Jose Mercury News)
Olga was announced by Opera Online the best leading female singer in North East in season 2006-2007”
A native of Russia, Olga appeared on the stages of the Bolshoi Opera (Maria in Mazeppa, Prilepa in Pique Dame, Brigitta in Iolanta, Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, Musetta in La Boheme, to name a few), Kazan Opera Theater (Mimi in La Boheme), Stanislavsky Opera Theater (Micaela in Carmen), Hong Kong Opera (Liu in Turandot) and Mälmo Opera Theater in Sweden (Musetta in La Boheme) before emigrating to the U.S.A., where Olga appeared with West Bay Opera as Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, Hawaii Opera Theater as Mimi in La Boheme, San Francisco Lyric Opera in title role of Aida, West Bay Opera and Di Capo Opera in the title role of Manon Lescaut, Opera San Jose and Illinois Opera Theater as Tosca, and with Cedar Rapids Opera, Golden Gate Opera, Martinez Opera, Gold Coast Opera and Opera North as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, with Tampa Opera as Musetta in La Boheme, with Bohemian Opera as Liu in Turandot, with Livermore Opera as Nedda in I Pagliacci, with West Bay Opera as Leonora in La Forza Del Destino, with Golden Gate Opera in title role of Suor Angelica. From 2006 till 2010 Olga performed with touring company Teatro Lirico d’Europa in multiple performances of Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Aida, La Boheme (as Mimi and Musetta), Turandot (as Liu and Turandot), Le Nozze di Figaro, I Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana, Carmen. In autumn of 2009 Olga appeared in Cairo as Tosca and, in spring of 2010 debuted it Italy at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo as Carlotta in Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten, where she returned following summer in the title role of Aida.
Olga appeared with Orchestra Sinfonica Romana at the concert stage of Santa Cecilia in Rome and Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Verdi Requiem, Quatar with Gala concerts, Opera Santa Barbara in an evening of music by Giocomo Puccini, DiCapo Opera (Rachmaninoff’s Francesca da Rimini), in Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Concert Hall for Bach’s Mass in B-minor, at the Grand Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory for Mahler’s Sympony No. 4 and for Orff’s Carmina Burana, Moscow’s Cathedral Catholic Church for Bach’s Easter Oratorio, as a featured soloist for both the Notti Musicali Modenesi Festival and Costa Rica’s XIII Festival de Musica Credomatic; and as a featured soloist for the political-cultural event entitled “Days of Russian Culture in Bulgaria, jointly sponsored by the Russian and Bulgarian Ministries of Culture and attended by the presidents of both countries.
In 1996, Olga won first prize in the Moscow’s “Bella Voce Vocal Competition” and, in 1999, won their grand prize. In 2000, Olga received a special award at the International Bulbul Vocal Competition in Baku, and an award at the Moscow art festival Festos. In 2002, Olga participated in San Francisco Opera Center Merola Opera Program for young singers and sang Musetta with Western Opera on tour. In 2006 I became a first prize and special award winner in Rose Palmai-Tenser Vocal Competition and prize winner in Opera Index Competition
Olga studied at Moscow’s Gnessin Music College from 1992 until 1996 with Yelena Troshinskaya and Angelina Trost, and at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory with Irina Archipova and Dmitri Vdovin from 1996 until 2002. She graduated with Masters Degree in singing and voice teaching. In addition to vocal studies, Olga studied piano, dance, figure skating, and acting. In United States Olga continued her studies with Arthur Levi, Sheri Greenawald, Olga Makarina. Coached with Renato Francesconi, Diana Soviero, Renata Scotto, Franco Pagliazzi, Giuseppe Finzi, Martina Arroyo, Elaine Rinaldi to name few.
Olga comes from family of teachers and musicians. She started her teaching career during college years when she taught group music theory classes (Kirushin method) in Lobnia school of arts. After Olga accumulated enough singing and performing experience she started to share her knowledge with young singers and colleagues
Currently Olga teaches voice privately at her home studio in San Mateo, at Allegro Dance and Music school (San Carlos) and MYC at Opus1(Palo Alto). Olga is member of Music Teachers Association of California.
(408)7729834
olga_chernisheva@yahoo.com
olgachernisheva.com